Aswan, Egypt - December 2011

We took it easy the first day in Aswan. After a late morning start, we strolled on the Corniche along the Nile. We were surprised to see how blue and clean this part of the river was. There is the second largest Coptic Cathedral in Africa located not too far from our hotel. Almost across the street from the church is the beautiful, recently renovated, "Old Cataract" hotel where Agatha Christie lived while writing "Death on the Nile".  We enjoyed our "tea/beer" time at the hotel terrace while watching feluccas lazily sailing by. 



On the terrace of the Cataract Hotel

  

Entrance to the old Cataract Hotel


Later, we took two hour cruise on the Nile on a felucca. We sailed around Elephintine Island and Kitchener Island. It was a nice and relaxed sailing ...It made a stop to the Nubian Village on the banks of the Nile River near main town of Aswan. The Nubian village is colorful and touristy. But it gives a feeling of travelling back in time to ancient Nubia, one of Africa's oldest civillizaions. 



Captain Mohammed Ali.

 The next morning we got up at 2am to join the police escorted convoy heading south to the Tempel of Abu Simbel.  The convoy left at 4:30am for the three hour trip.  The original location of this temple was flooded when the Aswan Dam was built.  The temple was moved to higher ground and it is now situated overlooking Lake Nasser. 



In front of the Colossi of Ramsesses II

 The last full day in Aswan, we hired a taxi to take us to the camel market in Daraw.  These camels were brought up from Sudan to be sold.  The camels are then taken to Cairo to a larger camel market.  Due to mild weather, the smell was not as bad as it could have been.  We took a boat to the Temple of Philae on an island in the Nile.  Our last stop was the Unfinished Obelisk.


Camel market at Daraw- near the border of Sudan




Picking out camel

 

Temple of Philae